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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lean · trunk · ball · lash · tear · mate

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. ball — a great time
  3. tear — from crying
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mate — a friend
  8. lean — to bend
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lean — thin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com